Unbeaten Lancaster City turn attentions to FA Cup

Adam Lord

Lancaster City boss Phil Brown feels his side are improving all the time after completing an unbeaten first month in the Evo-Stik Premier Division.

The Dolly Blues have drawn four and won two of their opening six games after a profitable bank holiday weekend.

City were pegged back as they drew 1-1 at Hednesford Town on Saturday before seeing off Stalybridge Celtic 1-0 at Giant Axe on Monday.

Attentions now turn to the FA Cup first qualifying round and a trip to Colne on Saturday.

“Obviously not to have lost a game in the first month of the season is really pleasing,” said Brown.

“The players deserve a lot of credit for their application, commitment and the performances they’ve been putting in.

“We’re just getting better without entertaining like teams like Altrincham are.

“We’re an effective team, especially without the ball, and we’re getting better and better in possession.

“Anybody’s who’s seen our games will tell you that.

“I said before we can achieve what we believe we can achieve and we’re starting to realise if we work hard and keep our focus we’ll get the chance to show what we can do with the ball at our feet.

“We’re not the finished article, we’ve got a long way to go and at some point we are going to lose a game.

“But we’ve got good energy, focus and we’re getting more confident all the time.”

City are no strangers to Colne and a trip to Holt House, the teams having been First Division North rivals.

“It’s never an easy place to go,” Brown said.

“It’s one of those grounds that suits the home team.

“It will be a tough game and they had a good win at Tadcaster in the last round.

“I’m sure they’ll want to get one over on last year’s champions and there’s the financial reward on offer for both sides.

“It’s really important for teams at our level.

“We might need to show some blood and guts but we’ve done that this season.”

The Dollies head to East Lancashire on the back of picking up four points from the bank holiday double header.

“The Hednesford performance showed how we’re improving,” Brown said.

“It’s an unforgiving place to go and the ground wouldn’t look out of place in the Football League.

“But we acquitted ourselves really well and did enough to win the game.

“We looked comfortable and their goal had a little bit of luck about it. “We just couldn’t see the game out and maybe that’s a little bit of inexperience or lack of game management because it was the first time we’d gone in front.

“It set us up nicely for Stalybridge and we took the game to them from the offset, had a couple of opportunities and then scored a really good goal.

“Tom Kilifin’s been getting nearer and nearer and it’s just rewards for him and the team.

“We talked about managing the game after Saturday and we did that. It could have been two or three.”